


excision

by BelaBellissima



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Catra-centric (She-Ra), F/F, Female Friendship, Gen, Healing from trauma, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Post-Canon, adora is barely in this, catra's haircut, i have Opinions about, like she's mentioned in passing but has no lines at all, no profreading we die like mne
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:02:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26191627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelaBellissima/pseuds/BelaBellissima
Summary: Hair is heaven's water flowing eerily over usOften a woman drifts off down her long hairand is lost-Hair Poem, Bill KnottCatra and her relationship with her hair during the first six months post-canon.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Catra & Perfuma (She-Ra), Catra & Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 67





	excision

**Author's Note:**

> hi i have Opinions.  
> wlw me thinks Catra's haircut is hot.  
> long-haired me thinks it was probably traumatic for Catra to lose her hair without her consent, be brainwashed, almost kill the woman she loves, die, and come back to life all in the same day.

The thing is, Catra doesn’t quite mind it as much when Adora runs her fingers through the strands of her hair, petting her until Catra can’t hold back her pleased purrs. Adora certainly doesn’t seem to mind either. She seems to love the feeling of the short strands between her fingers, threading them through Catra’s hair as often as she can.

But Adora can’t do that all the time. She has things she needs to do, places to be. She’s still She-Ra, after all, and bringing magic back to the galaxy is a daunting task, even for the four of them. Catra hasn’t even told her the reason why she’s asking for it more.

Back in the Horde, back when they were just children growing up, Catra didn’t let anyone else near her hair. It was personal, and Catra didn’t trust anyone else to get close to her like that. She _certainly_ didn’t trust them enough to put their hands on her neck and ears.

Only Adora.

Now, on rare occasions, she lets Glimmer touch it. Sometimes Bow as well. Perfuma gets away with it more than the other two. Catra will never admit it, but she likes meditating with Perfuma, likes it when she grows flowers that weave right into the hair.

She doesn’t let Scorpia near it though, which she knows hurts her, but Catra doesn’t feel quite brave enough yet to tell her why, to tell her that the idea of having claws capable of slicing through things near her hair sends her into a panic, makes the fur on her cheeks and down her spine and over her tail puff up like nothing else.

It’s a nice hair style. Only she didn’t choose it.

Her whole life, Catra had long hair. The other cadets always had to pull it back, keep it out of their faces, but Catra let her mane fly wild and free. It was one of the few things she was allowed to have to herself. It kept her warm, made her more intimidating when it puffed up, and protected her. She likes long hair.

And then Horde Prime had cut it off and enslaved her mind, made her attack Adora with the intent to kill. Catra had fought Adora plenty of times, even tried to kill her before on her own, but it was different.

Those times, she had chosen it. This time, she was a puppet in her own body, unable to stop herself. Unable to break free, just like when she had been a child. And then she had died, thrown herself from a height because Horde Prime had commanded it.

Inside her own head, Catra had been screaming. Outside, her body had been grinning.

Catra had finally changed sides, fought alongside Adora for what was right, and sacrificed herself for the good of Etheria. And the only thing to change was which Master controlled her; Shadow Weaver swapped out for Horde Prime.

Every time she feels wind brush the back of her neck, Catra remembers it all.

As the months pass, her hair starts to grow out more and more. Catra loves that it’s getting longer, but the curls brush her bare neck much in the same way wind once chilled her. Adora notices when Catra switches to higher collars, to long sleeves and no cutouts in her clothes. Catra wants her body back, wants the comfort and security she used to feel in her own skin, but all she gets is a cheap substitute.

After six months, her hair is long enough to fully cover her neck again. Catra smiles throughout breakfast the day she realizes it, and she’s in such a good mood that Frosta freezing her water cup as a prank makes her laugh instead of taking up chase to get even.

Catra sees Scorpia smile at the sound but hold back from reaching out, and Catra knows it’s on her to explain and fix things.

First though, she has a meditation session with Perfuma.

The plant Princess of course brings it up though.

“You’re happier today. Did you have a breakthrough since our last time? I hope so, because I like seeing you happy like this.” She finishes her statement by growing a flower crown on Catra’s head.

Catra looks down and can’t stop her smile. “No, it’s just that my hair is long again. I missed it.”

Perfuma tilts her head in consideration. “Did you not like the short? It looked so good.”

Catra stares at her crossed feet, letting her hands fall into her lap from where they had been resting on her knees.

“I…” she sighs. “I know it looked good, and I know Adora also really liked it.”

“But you didn’t?” Perfuma prompts.

“I wouldn’t have minded it as much if…” Catra trails off. Perfuma waits, in tune with the way Catra processes things after six months of meditation and self-help. Catra smothers a growl in the back of her throat and finally spits it out, making it real to others by speaking the words aloud for the first time. “If I had chosen it myself. But I didn’t choose it. It was stolen from me.”

Perfuma winces in sympathy. “I see.”

Catra shakes her head. “Whatever,” she brushes it off. “It’s just hair. It’s almost mostly grown back. Soon, you won’t be able to tell.”

“But you’ll still know,” Perfuma counters. “It still hurts you. I’m sorry I hadn’t even thought about that. You must have been in so much pain, and I wish I could have helped you.”

Catra can’t help it when the words make her start to cry.

All this time, and she hadn’t yet cried about it.

She wipes furiously at her eyes. _Stupid cat,_ she scolds herself. Crying over hair and kind words. It’s pathetic. And weak. And—

Catra stops that line of thought in her head.

It’s the kind of thing Shadow Weaver would have said, and she’s learning how to correct her instinctive reaction toward something healthier.

“Yes,” Catra finally says. “I was in pain. I still am.”

And the world doesn’t end. Nothing happens from her admitting to it, other than Perfuma scooting closer and taking Catra’s hands in her own.

“I’m proud of you,” she says, smiling widely. “It’s very brave of you to admit.”

Catra nods. “Thank you,” she says, “for your help. You’ve actually done… a lot to help me with it. Even though you didn’t know you were doing it.”

Perfuma beams at her, clapping her hands together once. “I’m so glad! And now I can help more! I’ll grow you some Aloe Vera – it can help your hair grow back a little faster and healthier!”

Catra blinks once as it sinks in, then smiles. “I’d like that very much,” she says, and doesn’t even complain when Perfuma throws her arms around her in a hug.

Later, Catra seeks out Scorpia. The Princess is with Entrapta and Emily, smiling like usual as she keeps Entrapta company, occasionally providing her with a burst of lightning electricity when needed.

“Wildcat!” Scorpia greets Catra, who waits in the doorway patiently, one arm crossed in front of the other to hold her elbow.

“Hey,” Catra greets back. “Can we… talk?”

Scorpia’s smile dims just a little for a second, then returns full force. “Of course!” she says, heading toward Catra. The hallway of the Bright Moon palace is empty, thankfully, and Catra doesn’t think Entrapta will be able to hear them over the sounds of her experiments, so Catra decides to go for it right there.

“I wanted to apologize,” she says. “We both know I’ve been hesitant to be around you recently, but I’m ready to talk about why now.”

Scorpia’s forced smile relaxes into a real one. “I’d like that, Wildcat.”

Catra takes a steadying breath, then explains. Scorpia looks like she’s ready to cry by the end of it but settles into scooping Catra up into one of her famous hugs.

When she finally sets Catra down, Catra takes a deep breath and asks her next question. “I think I need- I mean, I would appreciate it if you might be willing to give me a trim. I haven’t touched it since, and it needs just a little bit of the ends removed. And I think you doing it would help.”

Scorpia says nothing for a few seconds, making Catra cringe internally and begin to retreat. Scorpia reaches out, stopping her before Catra can scamper away.

“I’d be honored,” she says, voice low and serious.

“To give a haircut?” Catra laughs, trying to lighten the mood again.

“To help a friend,” Scorpia corrects.

Catra gives Scorpia a real smile at that.

“Thank you,” she says.

Afterward, Catra feels settled in way she hasn’t since before her hair was stolen. It’s not where she wants it to be yet, but she’s at least not alone while she heals and grows it back.

In bed that night Catra purrs loudly, eyes closed in bliss as Adora tends to her hair, fingers soft as they glide through its length.

**Author's Note:**

> [Find me online!](https://linktr.ee/belabellissima)


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